New milk chilling centre opened

Nestle paid Rs 3.6 b to Lanka's dairy industry:

Nestlé, Sri Lanka's largest private sector collector of fresh milk, has contributed Rs. 3.6 billion to almost 20,000 local farmers as payment for fresh milk, to manufacture its products such as powdered milk.

As Sri Lanka's dairy industry is still an emerging one, where farmers do not produce enough milk to meet total market demand, Nestlé has been working closely with the authorities since the early 1980s to help develop it. The company hopes to not only increase the supply and quality of milk but also provide local farmers a sustainable livelihood.

The company holds regular training and development programs for farmers on a range of technical topics and best practices, including cattle feeding and breeding, animal health and farm management. It promotes artificial insemination for breeding high-yield cows and also provides vital equipment and medicine, and financial assistance to develop dairy farms.

Managing Director, Nestlé Lanka, Shivani Hegde said, "Helping Sri Lankan farmers produce quality milk has been close to our hearts for over 30 years. It is part of our 'Creating Shared Value' approach. We are committed to providing Sri Lankan consumers a portfolio of quality products with local fresh milk, and contribute to the rural economy."

This year, the company hopes to expand its milk procurement network in the North and develop the potential of the region, which accounts for 22% of the country's cattle.

It opened a new milk chilling centre in Vaddakkachchi, which will help farmers keep their milk fresh at a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius. Previously, facilities for storing fresh milk in the area were inadequate; resulting in low quality and wastage.

A dairy farmer of Vaddakkachchi, Ariyputhiran Krishnaseelan is optimistic that the new facility will help revive the town's dairy industry. "This is a big occasion for us as it is the first milk chilling centre in our town. We usually have a lot of excess milk, even after using it in our own homes and selling it to our neighbours and others in the community," he said.